This post was written by Maureen Jones
Acer plans to launch 10-inch Aspire One netbooks in February next year. As for its 8.9-inch netbooks currently available, the 3.5G module-based Aspire One netbooks being bundled with Taiwan Mobile (TWM) services is expected to reach a shipment volume of 9,000 units in the Taiwan market in the fourth quarter this year. In Taiwan, notebook average selling prices (ASPs) are expected to continue dropping through the end of this year, with an average decline of 10%. High-end and lowest-cost models will feel less price pressure, while models within the range of NT$30,000-40,000 (US$900-1200) will see the largest price drops.
Toshiba Corp. has introduced the first laptop computer, Qosmio G55, to use the computing-intensive Cell chip that was first designed for Sony Corp.’s PlayStation 3 game console. Toshiba has announced that three new high-end laptops - the Qosmio G55, Qosmio X305 and Qosmio F55, designed for gaming and multimedia applications, would hit the market later this summer.
HCL Infosystems Ltd. launched the HCL “Leaptop Series 39”. Designed for Indian conditions, where the ambient temperatures are higher and the surface temperature of laptops tend to become uncomfortable, the HCL Leaptop Series 39 is designed to achieve a lower temperature differential of below 6 degrees on its palm rest surfaces. With excellent thermals and meeting the Energy star 4.0 compliance standard, the product starts at a price range of Rs. 39990/-. The HCL Leaptop Series 39 is based on Intel’s Centrino & Centrino2 Processor technology and comes in both Microsoft and Linux versions.
Dell Inc. has launched its Studio line that comes in seven colors and offers some impressive computing power inside. The laptops with the starting range of $799 use Intel Core 2 Duo processors and have up to 320 gigabytes of hard drive space. Optional Blu-ray or DVD recording drives ensure you can watch a movie under your beach umbrella, while built-in Wi-Fi, cellular broadband and Bluetooth keep things connected. The Studio line comes in two sizes with 15- and 17-inch screens and weighs about eight pounds.
Seagate has launched a major push to increase the uptake of its Full Disk Encryption (FDE) laptop and PC drives, in partnership with Dell. It will have higher capacities and competitive prices. This month, buyers of a wide range of Dell laptops will be offered an upgrade to Seagate’s latest Momentus FDE drives, with capacities between 160GB and 320GB at platter speeds of 5400rpm and 7200rpm, depending on model. Drives of 500GB will be available by year end. Dell indicated that laptops with the standard 5,400rpm 120GB drive added would increase the price by US$139 approximately.
The latest addition to Panasonic’s Toughbook line of rugged computers is designed not only to weather dust, water and accidental drops. It is made to keep up with the increasingly mobile demands of corporate users thanks to its mini-PC form factor. The CF-U1 Toughbook sits somewhere between a handheld PDA and a laptop computer in an attempt to combine the best of both worlds — the portability of a handheld and the power of a PC. The mini computer is based on Intel’s Atom processor and is compact and relatively light at 1.06 kilograms. It runs on either Windows XP or Vista.
Belkin Asia Pacific Limited launched “Laptop@home” solutions, the most stylish and innovative set of laptop accessories ever. Designed to cater to every customization whim and fancy of home laptop users, across different age groups, the Belkin Laptop@home offerings include, among others,:
Alienware, the leader in PC gaming, has announced the latest addition to its line of gaming laptops. The new M17 model has taken a sharp turn fro its predecessor M17x. Starting at $ 1399 only, the new product from Alienware is very reasonably priced. But, opting for features other than the basic configuration like the multi-GPU CrossfireX and Intel Quad Core 2 Extreme CPUs can make it a little pricier.